Solved: recover private documents from other WinXP install

[thepeasant]

Hi, so I have myself in a bit of a pickle.

I got a virus a while ago which froze windows after startup. The only recourse was to reinstall windows on a different partition. The virus is now wiped out, but my old install of windows was ruined.

I attempted several methods of troubleshooting, the latest being running a windows repair through the CD. The current situation of the old install is that it boots up to a black screen where I can manoever the mouse cursor as desired but without any other functionality (this is before the login screen, which never occurs). The same thing happens in Safe Mode (even with command prompt) except that in Safe Mode the 'safe mode' text is displayed around the edges.

I'm fine with using my new install, however there are some important documents in my old profile's 'My Documents' folder which I need to recover. In any other login my user name folder is 0kb large and it says 'Access is Denied' when I try to open it, obviously because it was made private to my old username.

So, how would I go about recovering the documents? Is my only recourse somehow fixing my old windows install, or is there a roundabout way of getting to it?

Thanks in advance,
~TP

 

[cwwozniak]

Dup of a later post that is marked as "Solved"

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-nt-2000-xp/755734-solved-private-document-recovery-crashed.html

 

[thepeasant]

yes, that ther one was an accidental double-post. I still have a problem, please help!

 

[valis]

closed other thread, please respond here.

thanks,

v

 

[valis]

if it's on a different partition, can't you just use windows explorer to go get your documents?

 

[Rich-M]

You can boot to safe mode and choose Administrator user and then change the permissions on those files but honestly it is easier to download a live-cd version of Linux such as Puppy Linux which will allow you to boot to cd, plug in a flash drive and then move all the files to a flash drive or usb external drive as Linux does not recognize Windows Permissions. You also need a program to convert iso file you download to a bootable cd.
http://www.puppylinux.org/downloads
http://burncdcc.en.softonic.com/

 

[thepeasant]

Valis: My new windows installation still recognizes that it's a private folder and won't let me access it.

Rich: Even the Admin in my new windows installation can't access those files. I'll try the Linux route you suggested, thanks.

 

[cwwozniak]

Sounds like a very common scenario for XP users. See if this MS Article helps ...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

 

[thepeasant]

"Note You cannot turn off simple file sharing in Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition."

dang... scratch that option

 

[thepeasant]

ah, fixed it! I read the support guide again and saw that if I log in as an Administrator in Safe Mode the security tab will pop up and allow me to change permissions, and it worked! Thanks Chuck!

 

[cwwozniak]

ah, fixed it! ...Thanks Chuck!

You are welcome.

For a while there I had thought that I had sent you the wrong link or that MS changed something in XP Home within the last couple of years.

I had to go through the "Take Ownership" routine a few years ago when I put a new and much bigger hard drive in as the system drive on a computer running XP Home. I slaved the old drive and couldn't access any of my old documents on it.